Municipality of Dronten adjusts street name ‘Eskimolaan’ after complaint

In association with

Broadcasting Flevoland

NOS News•today, 2:06 PM

The Eskimolaan in Dronten will get a new name on January 1, 2025. The municipality decided to change the street name after a complaint from a resident who indicated that the name could be experienced as racist. The municipality confirmed this to Omroep Flevoland.

The name ‘Eskimo’ is seen as derogatory by the indigenous inhabitants of the Arctic regions of Alaska, Greenland, Siberia and Canada. The term was often used by non-native settlers. Although it is not clear exactly where the word ‘Eskimo’ comes from, most native inhabitants prefer the name ‘Inuit’ or ‘Yupik’, which means ‘(real) people’.

A resident of Dronten therefore filed a complaint. The street name committee then investigated and was told by the Inuit interest group that the word ‘Eskimo’ could be considered racist.

The committee therefore advised the municipal council to change the name. The council decided to follow the advice. The name change and the course of events became known after an appeal to the Open Government Act (WOO) by De Drontenaar.

The street now becomes the ‘IJsbaanlaan’, because of the ice rink located in the street. Residents of the street react divided towards Omroep Flevoland. “I think it’s a good thing, but I would have called the street Inuitlaan, the correct name for this population group,” a woman told a reporter from the broadcaster. A couple thinks the name change is nonsense. “They are at war with each other in other places in the world and we are talking about this?”, one man wonders out loud.

According to Omroep Flevoland, companies located in the street will receive 500 euros from the municipality in compensation, because they have to change their address on, for example, their website, business cards and stationery.